Stable footing for the Brotherhood of Mankind

The City of Calgary’s Public Art Program has been successfully working on a comprehensive conservation work for the Brotherhood of Mankind artwork, also known as the Family of Man.

The Brotherhood of Mankind artwork is one of the most prominent landmarks and tourist attractions in our city located outside the former Calgary Board of Education. It consists of ten 6.5 meter tall aluminum figures and has been in downtown Calgary since 1968.

Many factors including tough weather conditions may affect this outdoor artwork and cause potential structural damage. Therefore, an assessment of the external surface and structural integrity was conducted to preserve this captivating composition.

As part of that work, a public art conservator inspected the sculptures while City crews tested the ground underneath them. The examination proved that the figures are stable in the ground and in good condition. However, some maintenance work is required, and next month The City will be working on installing new pavers for the artwork.

"Given the fact that the Brotherhood of Mankind will soon celebrate its fiftieth anniversary in Calgary, it’s great that we are able to contribute to its continued presence and showcase this artwork that beautifies the downtown community," says Joel Hidalgo, Construction Services Supervisor.

These conservation efforts will ensure that Calgarians and guests can enjoy the Brotherhood of Mankind artwork for many years to come.

The Brotherhood of Mankind was created by Mario Armengol, a well-known Spanish artist, to be displayed at the British Pavilion for the Montreal Expo in 1967. Composition was purchased by a Calgarian who donated it to The City. The statues have stood guard here ever since 1968 and survived numerous construction booms and area developments that have taken place in the downtown core over the years.

If you like to learn more about The City of Calgary’s Public Art Program, visit Calgary.ca/culture.

A piece of Flames history on display at Municipal Plaza

When the Flames won the cup in 1989 a Flames ‘C’ was built by the City of Calgary welding and fabrication shop at Manchester Centre. The ‘C’ was built with a special mounting piece to hold the Stanley Cup for the victory parade. It was then displayed at the Municipal Building with the Stanley
Cup and thousands of Calgarians came down to take photos!

That ‘C’ ended up at Manchester Centre and was on display when the Flames went on their playoff run in 2004. This time around employees hatched the idea of moving the ‘C’ to the Municipal Plaza so it could be shared with all Calgarians. By displaying the ‘C’ at the plaza it will be visible for all Calgarians and help everyone get into the Flames spirit!

After a quick sandblast and fresh coat of paint the 800 pound and eight foot tall ‘C’ has made its way back to the Municipal Building (800 MacLeod Trail S.E.) to help a new generation of Calgarians cheer on the Flames. 

Check out the photos below to see the transformation of the Flames ‘C’.  

The ‘C’ before getting sandblasted and painted.

City employee sandblasts the ‘C’

The sandblasted ‘C’ is prepped for paint at the body shop

Applying the finishing touches to the ‘C’

#GoFlamesGo

Protecting public safety with landmark ruling under Alberta’s Building Code

The City of Calgary takes public safety seriously, making Canadian history today with a landmark ruling under the provincial Building Codes legislation.

On November 3, 2014 Provincial Court Judge Heather Lamoureux ruled that William Engineering Canada Inc. is accountable for its involvement in repairs undertaken at the Rocky Mountain Court building parkade, 221 6 Ave SE, in the summer of 2011.

Marco Civitarese, Chief Building Official for The City of Calgary, and Ola Malik,
Municipal Prosecutor, stand outside the Provincial Court House,
following a historic ruling for public safety

“Public safety is our utmost concern”, says Marco Civitarese, Chief Building Official and Manager of Building Regulations. “We always seek compliance to Alberta’s Building Code, and our partnerships with industry have made construction sites safer in Calgary, however when prosecution is warranted, we will seek enforcement under legislation,” notes Marco.

The City created the Safety Reponses Unit (SRU) in 2009 to address unsafe construction sites in Calgary. The SRU leads a Coordinated Safety Response Team with the objective of protecting public safety by identifying issues, investigating incidents and correcting unsafe issues. The SRU has implemented a number of construction safety measures in Calgary that promote site safety, public awareness and have made Calgary a national leader.

“We’re pleased with Judge Heather Lamoureux’s ruling today,” says Ola Malik, The City’s municipal prosecutor who conducted the 3-week trial. “Engineering firms, like other parties who are involved at the various stages of a construction project, have independent obligations to satisfy in the design and execution of a construction project,” adds Malik.

The City appears to be the only jurisdiction in Canada that is actively prosecuting breaches of the Building Code and obtaining significant fines.

A sentencing hearing is being scheduled for a later date.

Remembering the 2013 June flood; response, recovery and the road ahead - Corporate Properties & Buildings

By Friday afternoon on June 21, 2013, seven to 12 feet of water had entered various parts of the Municipal Complex (Municipal Building, City Hall and the Administration Building). The electrical vaults that the team had worked so hard to protect in the Administration Building and the Municipal Building were almost completely submerged. With the loss of equipment in those vaults, there was no power in any of the buildings. This impacted everything from life safety systems (such as fire alarms) to the fuel pump used to run the emergency generator. It also displaced 2400 employees.



In the weeks after the flood, Corporate Properties & Buildings (CPB) worked around the clock to clean up the damage and restore the electrical and mechanical systems in our damaged buildings. This work allowed some City employees who were displaced by the flood to return to their offices and provide essential services to citizens.

We also worked hard to find alternative locations for displaced staff and set up temporary citizen service counters less than 24 hours after the flood.

Visit calgary.ca/floodinfo for 2013 flood facts, photos, infographics and more.

Info session: Spring flood preparedness and Elbow River bridge design

Flood preparedness and rebuilding efforts are on the agenda at an information session in southwest Calgary March 11.

At this information session, Calgarians can learn more about what steps are being taken and what they can do to better prepare for spring and the potential for high water flows.

The City and Province are investigating a number of mitigation options to ensure communities are better able to address and deal with potential flooding in the future. Mitigation measures include both short- and long-term projects to help protect against future floods, reduce negative downstream impacts, and bring together projects at the regional and local levels.

Drop-in information session
Tues., March 11, 5-7:30 p.m.
Christ Church, 3602 8 St. SW

Staff from the Government of Alberta and various City departments will be in attendance, including:

• Transportation Infrastructure
• Development & Building Approvals
• Flood Recovery Operations
• Water Services
• Finance & Supply
• Assessment
• Calgary Emergency Management Agency
• The City’s Expert Management Panel on River Flood Mitigation

This drop-in session is also an opportunity to learn about and offer input into the replacement of three pedestrian bridges along the Elbow River. The Transportation Infrastructure (TI) project team replacing the bridges will be available for open dialogue, to share bridge design concepts, and to get your input on design preferences like railings, cross bracing and tower colour.

“Everyone associated with this project has been working hard to get these bridges replaced as soon as possible,” says project manager Charmaine Buhler. “A suspension-style bridge design concept was selected to replace the bridges, based on its fit with our design criteria, and on feedback from the community.”

Bridge project information and a design preferences survey will be available online until March 24. Bridge construction should start this spring and the bridges should open by December 2014.

Visit our flood recovery website for more info on emergency preparedness and recovery projects.

The City of Calgary celebrates first LEED platinum building certification

The City of Calgary's Public Building located at 205 8th Ave S.E. next to the Epcor Centre

For the first time, The City of Calgary has achieved a LEED® Platinum rating for Commercial interiors on a civic building. This is quite an accomplishment for an 80 year old heritage building.  Beginning in 2008, the Calgary Public Building, at 205 8th Avenue S.E., was renovated to rejuvenate an important part of our history but at the same time create a vibrant and healthy workplace in a building that is also home to an important Calgary performing arts centre.

“The renovation’s primary focus was to improve the environmental performance of the building while also preserving the exterior of the building and upgrading the interior to be more energy efficient,” explains Sharon Purvis, Director of Corporate Properties & Buildings.

Whenever possible, the project team used products that were favourable to the environment and ensured most of the demolition waste was recycled. Metal studs, wood, and piping were also sorted and then appropriately recycled or reused. Through the renovation of the Calgary Public Building, The City of Calgary was able to reduce the energy consumption by about 50 per cent and increase efficiency of the building.

Artist rendering of the Public Building from 1929

“This building is an important part of our history.  To be able to restore as many of its original features as possible while still reducing energy consumption and focusing on sustainability is a great achievement that will have long term benefits and ensure it remains part of our future ,” says Ward 11 Alderman Brian Pincott.

Onward/ By 2020, greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by 20 per cent from 2005 baseline.